Traditional document-based instruction manuals are generally linear and when intended to be printed they are segmented. Content is often placed for efficiency of storage and not for efficiency of comprehension. The nature of instruction documents or manuals lends itself to reading or printing as pages; it does not lend itself to actually comprehending or executing the instructions.
Furthermore, traditional instruction manuals are often long and complex with many different options. Instructions for a single sub-task are typically spread across more than one column or page and such pages are routinely non-contiguous pages. Also, instruction manuals may provide reference material such as keys, legends, abbreviations, and other instructions that apply across several steps of the process. Additionally, the ordering of sub-tasks for completing instructions may not follow physical ordering in the instruction manual. Further, instructions frequently require two or more instructions to be followed simultaneously. Finally, instructions are always created and finalized before the user ever starts reading them. There is no meaningful mechanism for allowing the user to interact with the instructions, or track their progress through those instructions.
Frequently a user of a traditional instruction manual will spend a significant amount of time flipping between manual pages to complete a step or use the embedded reference materials. They will need to write notes about how each step may be related to others, or which steps need to be reworked due to incomplete or faulty instruction. Re-work is constant, as steps that must be done together are not clearly labeled in one spot resulting in missed instructions. Multiple options may result in mistakes and make it difficult to track current progress against the instructions. Progress through the instructions may even be negative, meaning that the user may need to go backwards and undo certain instructions.
In the construction of garments in the fiber arts, for example in the knitting of garments or portions of garments, the difficulty and limitations of traditional instruction manuals and traditional instruction sets is particularly evident. For example, knitting instructions are typically provided in a linear fashion with content distributed across multiple pages. The instructions are traditionally in both text format and in graphical or knitting chart format, and require simultaneous engagement with parallel instructions such as reference notes. For example, knitting an entire sock may require combining knitting charts for each of a cuff portion, a leg portion, heel portion and a toe portion. However, such required integration is difficult to perform with traditional systems, and typically requires the user to mentally remember critical aspects of combining the individual portions.
Some attempts have been made to modify traditional instruction manuals and/or sets of instructions to improve their usability and generally heighten the user guidance experience.
One example of a system or method that attempts to improve the user experience when navigating and engaging a set of instructions is U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,305 issued to O'Donnell on Dec. 20, 1988 (“O'Donnell”). O'Donnell discloses a collimated knitting pattern instruction panel for instructing a user in the creation of knitwear having patterns thereon which are formed into columns. The knitwear consists of multiple rows of yarn each having at least two groups of stitching configurations, with each of the groups of stitching configurations defining a portion of a particular pattern. In addition, a plurality of a particular one of the groups of stitching configurations form one of the columns on the knitwear. The collimated knitting pattern instruction panel comprises at least two elongated panel members, with each of the panel members having two horizontal edges and two side edges. At least one of the side edges of a first one of the panel members is in juxtaposition with one of the side edges of a second one of the panel members. Each of the panel members has a plurality of rows of alphanumeric characters with each of the rows being knitting pattern instructions for a particular one of the groups of stitching configurations, whereby the knitting pattern instructions for one of the columns of knitwear patterns are collimated into one of the panel members. While O'Donnell is of value in assisting a user in executing a set of instructions, there is no ability to edit or integrate the instructions or tune the instruction material for a particular user. O'Donnell is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Another reference that discloses method that assists a user in navigating and engaging a set of instructions that allows some user specialization is U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,787 issued to Maeiwa on May 24, 2005 (“Maeiwa”). Maeiwa discloses a system intended to quickly display a simulation image of knitting stitches approximate to an actually-knitted fabric. When an image is present in the position of the knitting stitches corresponding between an upper layer and a lower layer, the images of knitting stitches for pattern or transformed knitting stitches in the upper layer having the highest priority are displayed. In each layer, it is possible to perform an editing operation of selecting combinations of knitting stitches previously registered in a form of a module from a library and to change the position and the shape of the image of the knitting stitches. The knitting stitches in the periphery of the knitting stitch for a pattern are substituted for the transformed knitting stitches reflecting the influence of the making of the knitting stitch for pattern. Image data on basic knitting stitches, the knitting stitch for a pattern, and transformed knitting stitches is created utilizing the images of actual knitted fabrics or computer graphics and is stored. By combining the stored image data, a simulation image of knitting stitches like that of an actually knitted fabric can be quickly displayed. While Maeiwa does allow some user specialization, there is no ability to edit or integrate the instructions. Maeiwa is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,110 issued to Kawasaki on Sep. 22, 1998 (“Kawasaki”) provides a user interface to assist user in navigating and engaging a set of instructions. Kawasaki discloses a method of displaying a stitching image particularly for a plating stitch. A screen of a display unit displays a stitch structure including a type of thread for each stitch of a knit fabric. The display area of each stitch is divided into a ground yarn display area and a plating yarn display area based on the type of stitch. The ground yarn is allocated to one of the divided areas while the plating yarn is allocated to the other of the divided areas. Kawasaki does not provide a comprehensive approach to editing and integrating instructional content. Kawasaki is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,460,927 issued to Lai on Dec. 2, 2008 (“Lai”) provides an approach to digitizing some steps in manufacturing knitted products. Lai discloses a method of manufacturing knitted fabrics, more particularly a method of transferring a painting artwork onto a knitted fabrics to show the artistic verve of the painting. The manufacturing method includes the steps of: inputting an original drawing into a computer for digitization; editing and designing the digitized original drawing on a knitted fabric; outputting a knitting square plot after a graphic software performs a color processing; introducing graphic file information analyzed and processed by a knitting software to a knitting machine; and operators following a lamp signal of the knitting machine and the knitting square plot to knit to shape a knit piece, so as to complete a fashioned fine-art knitted fabric. Lai does not provide an approach to edit or integrate instructions for an efficient and user-specialized experience. Lai is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,401 issued to Kamikura on Mar. 14, 1978 (“Kamikura”) discloses some user control in a digitized knitting operation. Specifically, Kamikura discloses a method and apparatus for providing patterning instructions in a knitting machine by reading a program carrier and converting the readings to digital signals to be stored in a memory means. A manually operable member cooperating with the reading means allows the instructions to be recalled from memory to be selectively determined for controlling for the knitting operation. While Kamikura does digitize some portions of an instruction set for a knitting operation, no comprehensive approach to editing and integrating instructional content is provided. Kamikura is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,738,990 issued to Furukawa on Jun. 15, 2010 (“Furukawa”) provides an approach to digitizing some steps of a knitting operation and provides a user interface to assist a user in navigating and engaging a set of instructions. More specifically, Furukawa discloses a knitting structure model generated from knitting structure data represented by specific symbols so that an individual can easily imagine what type of knit fabric will be knitted. A knitting structure data acquiring portion acquires knitting structure data made up of symbols representing a tuck, representing a welt, and representing a knit. Anode aligning portion aligns nodes representing connecting points of yarns forming the knit fabric within the plane in a lattice form. A simplified model generating portion generates a simplified knitting structure model by connecting the nodes aligned within the plane with edges corresponding to the yarns according to the knitting structure data. A display portion displays the simplified knitting structure model thereon. Furukawa does not provide a comprehensive approach to editing and integrating instructional content. Furukawa is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,657,341 issued to Lind on Feb. 2, 2010 (“Lind”) discloses a system that allows some user interaction with knitting instructions that allows limited modification of the knitting instructions. More specifically, Lind discloses a system usable by a processor to enable a user to select a type of garment and view an image of the pattern for the garment. Under direction of the system, the processor enables the user to input data relating to the characteristics of an intended wearer of the garment. The processor generates knitting instructions, indications of varying degrees of pressure applied by garments to a graphical model, and printings of pattern representations of pattern providers. Lind, however, does not provide a comprehensive approach to editing and integrating instructional content for an efficient and user-specialized experience. Lind is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
While these references may be adequate for their intended purpose, there is still a need for systems and methods of transforming existing sets of instructions into a comprehensive user guidance experience for presentation and use by a user. More particularly, there is a need for systems and methods of constructing a knitted garment from disparate instructional content.
Although some physical and electronic systems for reading, annotating and marking up instructions are available, they do not solve the fundamental issues of working with complex instruction manuals. Traditional approaches are intended to store and print content efficiently rather than provide optimal viewing for comprehension of the content and accuracy of progressing through the instructions. Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic mechanism for streamlining and simplifying the “reworking” of instruction manuals such that the user (either the publisher or the reader/user) can process those instructions to their particular selected options and have complete information for completing each instructional step available during that step (including multiple instructions at the same time and reference material). There is a need to transcend the “flat” content of a document and transform such documents into an encompassing, time-based user guidance experience. The above deficiencies in working with complex instruction manuals are reduced or eliminated by the disclosed method.